Digging mechanism for wells and the like



Oct. 8, 1929. c. WILD DIGGING MECHANISM FOR WELLS AND THE LIKE FiledOct. 27, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet Inven tor rig. 1.

Oct. 8, 1929; c. WILD DIGGING MECHANISM FOR WELLS AND THE LIKE FiledOct. 27, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .llllllrllllllll/fll/ Invntor @WZM W Oct.8, 1929. c. WJLD 1,730,704

DIGGING MECHANISM FOR WELLS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 27, 1927 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Inuenior QWJMM Patented Oct. 8, 1929 unrre STATES CHARLESWILD, OF EUREKA, CALIFORNIA DIGGING MECHANISM FOR WELLS AND THE LIKEApplication filed October 2'7, 1927. Serial No. 229,146.

This invention relates to mechanism for sinking wells or prospect holes,the object of the invention being to provide a device or" the abovementioned class, of novel and him proved construction, operative withina casing, to sink holes or wells in comparatively soft earth, such asloam, clay or sandy soil, and to operate to form a hole somewhat largerthan theoutside of the casing, and

19 which will penetrate the material below the bottom of the casing whenthe device is lowered within the well or hole and which will operate toscrape the bottom of the hole when the movable parts of the device areset in motion when the device is pulled upwardly, and which will retainthe scrape-d. up material until the device is withdrawn to a positionabove the surface of the ground where a mechanism not included in thisapplication,

operates to hold the device in suspension while the material which hasbeen brought up from the bottom of the hole is being dumped when thelifting cable of the device is slaokened and its moving parts assumetheir original positions.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangen'ient of parts and in the details ot construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, itbeing understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention, herein disclosed. may be made within thescope of'what is claimed, without cleparting from the spirit, orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. 7

Referring to the drawings 1 Figure 1 is a vertical sectional viewthrough the device, illustrating the shovel blades in their openpositions. For clarity, but two of the shovel blades with theiroperating mechanisms are shown, as they are typical of all the othershovel blades.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the device, illustrating the shovelblades in their open positions.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the device, illustrating theshovel blades in their 5% closed positions. For clarity, but two of theV shovel blades with their operating mechanisms are shown.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line- 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the device. showing the shovel bladesin their closed positions.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the shovel blades. 7

Figure 8 is a perspective view, showing the bottom of the retaining cap,which is the upper member of the ball and socket shovel bladeconnection.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the cage bar end member, the lower endof which is the ball member of the ball and socket shovel bladeconnection.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the lever arm, which presses againstthe shovel blade connecting rod.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device comprises a cage formedof vertical bars 7, arranged in spaced relation with each other, theupper ends thereofbeing secured to ring 8, while the lower ends, withthe cage bar end member 12 mounted thereon, connect with ring 9. 1

Angularly disposed. bars 10 are fastened at their lower ends to the ring8 and at their upper ends to the guide head 11, as shown by Figure 1 andby Figure 1- of the drawings.

A shovel blade 15, is pivotally connected at the lower end of eachofcage bars 7, by means of the ball and socket connection made up of thevarious parts, illustrated by the drawings and as hereinfurther.described. The cage bar member 12, which is mounted on the lower end ofeach of the cage bars 7, is open at the lower end portion, the sides ofthe opening being connected by means of the cylindrical extensions ofthe ball 13, which is a member or" the ball and a socket connectionabove mentioned. .The axis of the cylindrical extensions of the ball 13,which passes through the center of the ball, is somewhat angularlydisposed with reterenceto both the horizontal plane and the verticalradial plane passing through the center of the ball 18, so as to'causethe shovel blades 15 to overlap each other alternately on the outsidesand on the insides of the blades as shown by Figure 3 and by Figure 6 ofthe drawings.

The concave members of the ball and socket connection, mentioned above,have elongated side openings through which the cylindrical extensions ofthe ball 13 pass, so that the shovel blades may swing freely throughoutthe distance, permitted by the length of the said elongated openings, asshown by Figure 7 and by Figure 8 of the drawings.

The inwardly extended lever arms 16 of the shovel blades 15 extend in adirection somewhat away from a radial line passing through the center ofthe ball 13, as shown by Figure 3 and also by Figure 5 of the drawings.

Lever arm 40 is pivotally connected to the cage bar end member 12 bymeans of the stem l t at the upper end of the said member 12, and theend 41 is forced against the connecting rod 24 by means of the spring12, which is secured to the stem 14 of the cage bar end member 12, andserves to reduce lost motion of the shovel blades and maintain themsomewhat tilted so that they will overlap in their open positions andalso in their closed positions.

The shovel blade 15 in the open position, shown by Figure 1 of thedrawings, is prevented it'roin further opening by means of the inwardlyextended shoulder 19, coming in contact with the bottom ring 9 of thecage, the joint between the top of the shovel blade 15 and the ring 9being protected from the loose material at the side of the hole by thedownward apron like projection 29 of the ring 9, as illustrated byFigure 1 of the drawings.

The upper end of the shovel blade 15 is formed into a pocket 17 which isopen at the back and atthe top of the said shovel blade. The inwi rdlyextended lever arm 16 0f the shovel blade 15, which projects into thepocket 17, terminates in two downwardly disposed hooks 21, spaced apart,under which the cap 22 is secured at the end by means of the projections23 of the cap and the hooks 21 01 the shovel blade. The cap 22 issecured in position, at the end opposite the hooked end having theprojections 23, by means of a bolt. The ball 13 fitting into the top ofthe shovel blade 15, at 18, and being secured by the cap 22, forms theball and socket connection, upon which the shovel blades 15 swing.

Vertical rods 2% have pivotal connect-ion with the inner ends of theinwardly extended lever arms 16 of the shovel blades 15 and also havepivotal connection with the head 25,

which rests against a shoulder 30 of the tube he tube 26 is mounted toreciprocate thorugh the head 11 and through the fixed cylinder 27, thevertical axis of which coincides with the vertical axis of thesupporting cage, the fixed cylinder being secured by means of the radialbars 28, which are fastened to the bars 7 of the supporting cage and tothe cylinder 27. The upper portion of the tube 26 is solid and at theupper end is formed with an opening to accommodate a cable, rope orother flexible member whereby the device may be raised or lowered withina well or prospect hole.

Levers 34: within the tube 26 are pivotally supported at the outside ofthe said tube, by means of pins 33 and the outwardly extended portions32 of the levers, and by the jaws 31, which are secured to the tube 26.Elongated openings 35 are provided in wall of the tube 26 to support thesides of the lower portions of the levers 34, which extend to the bottomof the said tube, as shown by Figure 1 of the drawinggaud out of whichsaid openings 35, the lower ends of the levers move and assume thepositions, shown by Figure 4; of the drawings. The lower ends of thelevers 34 are projected inwardly at 36 V and wedge shaped outwardly at3'? and are provided with outwardly extended shoulders 38, which operateto engage the lower end of the fixed cylinder 27 and prevent upwardmovement of the tube 26 when the moving parts of the device in thepositions indicated by Figure 1 of the drawings. Flat springs 39 securedto the upper ends of the levers an operate against the inner side of thetube 26 to move the upper ends of the said levers inwardly and the lowerends outwardly to engage the shoulder 38 of the lever 3a with the bottomof the fixed cylinder 2'7, and is the resilient means by which the lowerends of the levers 34: operate to open, and against which the said lowerends of the said levers are closed.

The rod 13, the upper end of which is within the tube 26, is provided atthe upper end thereof, with an elongated opening all to accommodate thepin 4:5, which is secured to the tube 26, so that the rod may movevertically throughout the length of the said elongated opening. Theenlarged portion l6 oi the rod 43 engages the inner projections of thelower portions of the levers 3% when the rod 43 is freely suspended, andis clearly shown by Figure 1 oil the drawings. The enlarged portion l?of the rod is shaped internally like an inverted cone, as indicated bythe numeral 18, and when the rod 43 is moved upwardly, the sides 18 oithe inverted cone engage the wedge shaped lower ends 37 of the levers 34and operate to move them inwardly. The rod 43 is slidably con nected atthe lower end with the be 4-9, which is closed at the lower end andformed into a circular enlargement 53. Between the lower end of rod-l3and the bottom of the tube 49, is a helical compression spring 52. Thetube 19 is provided with an elongated opening 50 to accommodate the pin51 in the rod 43 so that the tube 49 and the rod 43 may move throughoutthe length of the elongated opening 50 of the tube 49.

In the use of the device, the device, with the shovel blades in theiropen positions, as shown by Figure 1, is forced into the upper end ofthe casing, and being suspended by a cable, rope or other flexiblemember, is lowered within the casing to the bottom of the well orprospect hole where the shovel blades 15 are forced by the weight of thedevice, to penetrate the material at the bottom of the well or hole. Theenlarged portion 53 of the tube 49, striking the bottom of the well orhole forces upwardly, both the tube 49 and the rod 43, sudden shockbeing prevented by means of the helical compression spring 52, whichintervenes between the end of the rod 43 and the bottom of the tube 49.The upward movement of the rod 43 moves the enlarges portion 46 of therod from the wedge portions 36 of the levers 34, and the lower ends ofthe levers 34 are movedrinwardly by means of the conical sides 48 of therod enlargement 47 and the wedge points 37 of the levers 34, so that theshoulders 38 ofthe levers are disengaged from the lower end of the fixedcylinder 27, so that the tube 26 is free to move upwardly within thesaid fixed cylinder, as shown by Figure 4 of the drawings. IVhen thedevice is being removed from the well or hole, the first upward movementof the cable, or other fiexible member to which the device is attached,pulls the tube 26 up within the fixed cylinder 27, but no movement isimparted to the cage. The head 25, being attached to the tube 26, alsomoves upwardly and by means of the connecting rods 24, which arepivotally secured to the head and to the inwardly extended lever arms 16of the shovel blades 15, the shovel blades are closed inwardly,overlapping each other as they close, forming a closed bottom for thecage. In closing, the shovel blades 15 scrape the bottom of the hole,and when they are closed they retain the scraped up material within thecage. Then the shovel blades are completely closed, as shown by Figure 4of the drawings, the head 25 may or may not be in contact with the guidehead 11 of the cage, but upward movement is imparted to the cage, andthe device and the enclosed material, which has been scraped up from thebottom of the hole, is'conveyed above the sur face of the ground, wherean especially designed mechanism, not shown in the files, operates tohook under the upper circular member 8 of the cage and hold the devicein suspension so that when the lifting cable or rope is slackenedsufficiently, the moving parts of the device assume their originallocked positions and at the same time the enclosed material is releasedand discharged into the hopper or chute of the above mentionedespecially designed mechanism, which operates to move out of the waywhen the well digging device is adjusted to enter the upper end of thecasing and be again lowered to the bottom of the well or prospect hole.

I claim 1'. In a device of the character described, a cage includingvertical bars, arranged'in spaced relation with each other, a circularmember for connecting the upper ends of the bars, a circular member forconnecting the lower ends of the bars, shovel blades having inwardlyextended lever arms at their upper ends, being movably supported by thelower ends of the vertical bars of the cage, so that the inner side ofone edge of each shovel blade extends beyond the edge and on the outsideof the adjacent shovel blade, so that the shovel blades, when in theirvertical operative positions, form a cylindrical extension of the lowerend of the cage to penetrate material when the device is dropped to thebot tom of the well or prospect hole, means having pivotal connectionwith the inner ends of the lever arms of the shovel blades, whereby theshovel blades may be moved inwardly to close the lower end of the cageand pick up material and hold material, when the means, whereby thedevice is lifted and lowered within the well or prospect hole, operatesto lift the device from the bottom of the well or prospect hole.

2. In digging mechanism, a cage, digging shovels plvoted at the lowerend of the cage and arranged in circular form with one side portion ofeach shovel overlapping one side portion of each next adjacent shovel,and means for operating the shovels simultaneously to vary the overlapof their side portions and the size of the central opening between theirends.

3. A digging mechanism as set forth in claim 2, and provided withuniversal joints,

for pivoting the shovels to the cage so that they may tilt freely in aplurality of direcs tions.

4. A digging mechanism asset forth in claim 2, the said cage havingballs secured to it, and the shovels being provided with sockets whichmove freely on the balls in a plurality of directions. I

5. A digging mechanism as set forth in claim 2, the said shovels beingprovided with inwardly projecting arms all-inclined in a directionpointing to one side of the axis of thecage, and having the means foroperating the shovels connected to the free end portions of their arms.Y

6. A digging mechanism. as set forth in claim 2, the said cage beingprovided with a stop device which limits the outward move- 4 r memosconnecting the said arms with the lifting head, and spring-pressed leverarms supported by the cage and bearing on one side of the said rods andoperating to press them laterally in similar directions.

8. In a digging mechanism, a cage having a guide at its axis, a liftingtube slidable in the guide, locking levers pivoted inside the liftingtube and having outwardly projecting shoulders for engaging with thebottom end of the guide, a head on the lifting tube, shovels pivoted tothe lower end of the cage and provided with inwardly projecting arms,connections between the said arms and head, and a releasing rod arrangedon the axis of the lifting tube and projecting below the cage andprovided with an enlargement which presses the said shoulders inwardlywhen the releasing rod is pushed upwardly, so as to permit the shovelsto be operated by the lifting tube and head.

9. A digging mechanism as set forth in claim 8, the said releasing rodbeing provided with a telescopic spring-pressed bufli'er tube forstriking against the ground.

10. A digging mechanism as set forth in claim 8, the said releasing rodhaving a longitudinal slot in its upper part, and the lifting tube beingprovided with a pin which extends crosswise of it through the said slot.

11. A digging mechanism as set forth in claim 8, the said locking levershaving projections on their lower parts which face the axis of the tube,and the said releasing rod having an enlargement which bears on the saidprojections and forces the levers outwardly and holds them in the lockedposition when the releasing rod is slid downwardly.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature.

CHARLES lVILD.

